Apparatus for drawing glass



July 30, 1929. A. E. SPINASSE 1,722,433

APPARATUS FOR DRAWING GLASS Original Filed Jan. 10,1918

26 Hum! IHIIIIYIHI" :2

gwvento c ALE. Spfnasse' Patented July 30, 1929,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE."

'Anrn'un; n. srinnssnon MO NT VERNON, OHIO,

' Arrm'rns non naawmo' GLASS.

. Original awaits filed January 10, 1918 Serial No. 211,266. handed and this application filed May 4,

1922. Serial no. 558,539.

My invention relates to an improved method of and certain apparatus for draw-'- 'ing glass objects, andis' more particularly..- 'directed. to the drawing of glass sheets or 5 plates. The object of. my invention is a process adapted to simphfy and improve 4 I the method of producing sheet glass, to pro;

vide adequate'meansfo regulating and effecting production, tolreduoe the .manufac turing costand to improve the qualities of the product. iMy invention also involves specially designed means for carrying out.

my process. v V I The broad. features to 1 nmy present invention are to be -found n my Patent No.- 1,167,534, dated January 11, 1916, and reference for disclosure of the broad features of local regulation, anchorage and segregation involved in this case, may be had to the above named "patent.

I provide means for drawingthe sheet of glass from an open bath of molten glass and maintain the desired width of the-sheet by use of anchoring members. I make'the anchoring points small, so :smallas to, insome cases, extend only the thickness of'the sheet-or plate drawn, so that during draw, there is comparatively reduced tendency of the sheet. to form thick and thin, causing the sheet to form with edges of approximately the same thickness as the sheet body portions, at times. The base of the glass or within the thickness or opposite planes of.

the base of the initially drawn sheet or plate. The sheet I form, is thus of substanparency throughout, and substantially even in width. Theform and dimensions, of the 5 between said points and the. viscid glass forming the sheet edges in adherent contact therewith. It also determines the intensity of the vertical stretching action at such points by the pull of the sheet edges and thereto; and

lowered between tially even thickness, texture and transfurther regulates. thickness" and form of the sheet edges drawn.

In' the accompanying drawing '.Figure 1 is. a transverse vertical sectionthrough a. glass drawing device, showing the improvements .of'the invention applied Figure 2 is a fragmentary detail view of one of the anchoring members in position.

In Figures 1 and 2, I show apreferred structure. for carrying out my method of drawing. glasssheets. In Figure 1, 20'is the melting tank furnace, 21 a drawing chamber projecting therefrom and supplied with molten. glass 22 from said tank, said chamberbeing maintained at'high temperature by any suitable heating means; and byfurnace heat passing through space 18 which -m'a be regulated by lowering'damper 19.

s shown in Figure 1,. in the walls of the drawing chamber, Iprovide opening 23' into which I project. pipes 45, havingcon-- trolling valve 25, and directing a temperature-afi'ecting medium such as air', into the end chambers42 of the segregating mem- 4 I am enabled to regulate. teni ber, whereby perature locally and obtain roper viscid glass anchorage at points 49 w ere the sheet edges drawn take form. In starting the draw. the bait..15, by means of cable 26. is

the rolls 14- until slightly immersed in glass pool 39, a'nd with its extreme portions at points 49; the bait is then raised drawing a glass sheet 34 of uniform width, and, with each successive portion of the sheet edges drawn from the adherent viscid glass in contact with the temperatureregulated walls of the segregated member at points 49. .When sufliciently elevated the sheet is' out laterally by any well-known means, the bait removed from. the hooks 24, and the drawing may become continuous As described, the sheet edges are drawn from the glass in contact with or near to the walls of the segregating member at points 49.

' The pipe 45, and pocket or tube 69', which-- may. be connectedin sections, may be provided in any number, preferably-one on each side of the sheet and form thereto the points of anchorage 49; they are made adjustable to change the width of the sheet drawn, to

take desired position with respect to the surface of the glass, and to take proper position beneath the rolls 32 or 14 hereinbefore described. In Figure 1, as shown, the refrac-- be of suitable form, preferably rounded, is

submerged, though not far from the surface as shown, and may beadjusted to take position at or projecting slightly above the surfac, this permitslvarying the area or surface of the points of anchorage offered to the sheet edges which are drawn .from the apexes thereof, at the'points of formation. It will be seen also that the points are sur rounded by clear. glass unaffected by walls proximity. v 1

I prefer to control the temperature of the refractory tube at anchoring point, by circulating' air under pressure in pipe 45, the

' air pressure being controlled by means of valve 25, there being sufficient room left for theescape of the air. Before immersed or brought in contact with the glass the re-.

fractory. tube is heated or conditioned to insure its adherence to. the glass, thereafter the temperature may be changed as required to insure proper glass viscidity and its intensified adherence to the members at points 49. The position, dimension and form, and

7 temperature of the portion. of the members forming the points of anchorage, determine the intensity of the anchorage and thickness of the sheet edges formed at such points.

Therefore, in Figure 1. I show a return bent pipe within. a refractory tube 69', the" end of which being immersed in the glass from above to provide a circulation for temperature affecting fluid such as air or water forced therethrough, said fluid being controlled by means of valve 25. The diameter of the pipes may vary, preferably to 1 inch or more, depending upon the thickness and form of the sheet edges desired; they have suitable thickness of walls, may be round or of any form in cross section, and when oblong, the sheet edges are preferably drawn from the narrow edges thereof. In starting the drawing, the refractory tubes 69 upon the pipes, preferably two in number, are made red hot or conditioned so that they will adhere to the portions of glass with which they contact, they are' thus set apart in contact with the mass 'of glass to form the anchoring points 49,- fiuid is then caused to circulate in the pipesto regulate the temperature of the refractory tubes and intensify adherence ofthe glass thereto, to obtain proper anchorage for the sheet edges.

The sheet glass being drawn from the glass between said points, and with the edges thereof drawn anchored at such points. Proper shielding as-heretofore described being provided for the sheet during drawing. 70

The eficiency of the anchorage is depend-. ent upon the intensity'of the adhesion of the portionsof glass which produce the sheet edges at anchoring points. It will be understood that the smallerthe anchoring points. the faster the heat carrier must be circulated therein, this is also determined according to the speed of drawing, and to the quantities of glass from the mass fed at such points, and also as to the degree of theglass adherence or stretching to the sheet edges desired at such points. Aslthemolten glass from beneath approach the anchoring points, heat in due proportions is being carried away by the fluid 'or medium circulated "within the members at said points, obtaining proper glass viscidity and adherence thereto.

Theflthickness of the sheet is also dependent upon the condition of the glass-and the speed of the draw, the faster the speed the thinner the sheet; this is also true for the edges, and in order to obtain sheet edges of proper thickness, the speed of draw isregulated with due respect to the proportion of glass fed by the pull or hydrostatic pressure at the anchoring points, depending also on the shape of the anchoring portion of the members, and their respective temperature ,at the right time for proper viscidity and adherence of the glass at such points as required. r

. The aim being to provide adherent points of anchoragein a. bath of glass for the edges of a continuously drawn sheet, preferably hollow members of hard material, and of proper form and dimension, so that temperature, affecting medium may be circulating in to their interior, affecting proper temperature by conduction through the walls of the members, precisely to an extent and points required to obtain proper viscidity and adherence of glass thereto, enabling the drawing of a sheet of glass of uniform width and with the edges thereof drawn in proper form and reduced thickness at suchfpoints,

By the term edges where it appears, I aim to cover the extreme side edges of the drawn sheet but this may include the adjacent marginal portions thereof.

This application is a division and a continuation of my pending application Serial N 0. 211,266 filed January 10, 1918, now Patent 1,692,585, granted Nov. 20', 1928, to which reference may be made.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and-desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

'1. In an apparatus for drawing sheet glass wherein the sheet is drawn upwardly from a bath of molten glass, means for forming and maintaining cooler areas of viscous glass as sources from which the edge portlons of the sheet are drawn, comprising a pair of internally water-cooled members projecting downwardly into the molten bath, and sheathings of refractory material for the portions of the members within the molten bath, said water-cooled members and sheathings therefor being disposed substantially in a plane containing the drawn sheet, and

of such dimension as to localize the cooling wherein the sheet is drawn upwardly from a bath ofmolten glass, means .for maintaining cooler areas of viscous glass as sourcesv from which sheet edges are drawn, comprising a pair of hollow interiorly cooled metallic members projecting into the molten bath, and sheathings of refractory material incasing the end portions of the metallic members within the molten glass, said metallic members and sheathings being disposed in aplanecontaining the drawn sheet and adjacent the sources of the sheet edge portions, and ofsuch dimensions as to localize the cooling effect upon the molten glass at said edge portions for thinning the edges of the sheet and maintaining the width of said sheet.

8. A sheet edge anchoring device comrisin an internall cooled i e narrow in P a: y

a direction transversely of the base of the sheet, and a hot thin refractory sheathrng adapted to adhere to the glass enveloplng the pipe and disposed in adherent contact with the sheet edge producing portion of the glass. Y

4. A sheet edge anchoring device comprisingan internally cooled member narrow in a direction transversely of the base of the sheet, and a hot tubular refractory sheathing adapted to adhere to the glass having a closed end fitting the member and disposed in' adherent contact with the forming edge portion of the sheet.

, 5. A sheet edge anchoring device comprisingan internally water cooled pipe extending in line at theedge of the sheet, and a thin tubular sheathing adapted to adhere to the glass about the pipe.

6. A sheet edge anchoring device comprising a pipe narrow in a direction transversely of the side edge of the sheet, and a thin sheathing of refractory material adaptedto adhereto the glass aboutthe pipe.

7 A sheet edge anchoring device comprising an internally cooled member narrow in a direction transversely of the base of the sheet, and a thin refractory sheathing adapted toadhere to the glass enveloping the member.- 1

rection transversely of the base of the sheet and having a thin hot adherent sheathing of clay thereon.

9. In apparatus for drawing sheet glass from -a bath of molten glass, means for maintaining the desired width of the sheetcomprising a temperature controlled member narrow in a direction transversely of the base of the sheet being drawn,means for maintaining said member in fixed position adjacent the forming edge portion of the sheet, and a hot thin sheathing of refractory material about the member disposed to contact and adhere with the edge producing portion of the glass.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

ARTHUR E. SPINASSE. 

